Brooks Koepka isn’t afraid to speak his mind, and it looks like he had a point all along. At The Open 2025, tensions ran high, players got frustrated, and things got messy quickly. So what exactly happened at Royal Portrush—and why is everyone suddenly agreeing with Koepka?

Brooks Koepka’s frustration with slow play isn’t new; he’s consistently voiced his irritation for years. Back in 2019, after witnessing excessively slow routines at the Dubai Desert Classic, Koepka openly labeled such delays as “kind of embarrassing”. During the final round of the 2023 Masters, the slow pace reached a boiling point—Koepka half-joked that Jon Rahm had enough time to visit the bathroom seven times while they waited. Clearly, Koepka has long recognized slow play as a threat to the sport’s integrity. Fast forward to this week, and the situation at The Open 2025 has proven Koepka’s concerns to be more relevant than ever.

Brooks Koepka’s slow-play gripe gained serious traction at Royal Portrush, where Ángel Hidalgo waited 45 minutes on the 7th tee due to a five-group backup, and J.J. Spaun received a bad time warning on the 17th. Meanwhile, tensions flared as Jon Rahm’s caddie, Adam Hayes, clashed with a rules official mid-round, highlighting the severity of the issue. Afternoon groups managed just 11 holes in four brutal hours, making Koepka’s blunt solution—“start stroking guys”—seem more reasonable than ever. Koepka didn’t mince words: “Yeah, I mean, there’s a lot of guys out here that take their time. I think it is a problem. I mean, technically in the rule book it says you got 40 seconds to get your shot… And if you’re taking over, technically you’re breaking the rules, right?” When asked how he’d fix it, Koepka was clear: “Honestly, I’d start stroking guys. If you’re going to take that long, you’ve got to get stroked. I mean, there are certain circumstances where the wind switches, something like that. It’s understandable. But, you know, taking a while is, I just think, unnecessary.” With slow play rapidly becoming golf’s biggest problem, tough penalties for repeat offenders might be the only way forward. This is not the first time he talked about breaking the rules.

Even golf’s biggest stars couldn’t avoid Thursday’s chaos. Justin Thomas, Rory McIlroy, and Tommy Fleetwood took a staggering 5 hours and 54 minutes to finish their round, according to Golf Digest. Seeing elite players trapped in slow play highlights how deep the problem runs. When the game’s top names are stuck grinding through marathon rounds, fans lose interest. Clearly, no player is immune, and the sport urgently needs tougher enforcement to protect its appeal.

In the end, slow play has become the story, not a side issue. Tee boxes are backed up like airport gates. Caddies are arguing with officials. Fans are tuning out. Koepka’s quote doesn’t just resonate—it sounds like leadership.“If you’re going to take that long, you’ve got to get stroked.” Maybe now, someone will finally listen.

Brooks Koepka Demanded Penalties

As slow-play frustrations continued into The Open 2025 at Royal Portrush, the PGA Tour felt increased pressure to respond. Ahead of the Rocket Mortgage Classic, PGA Tour Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Andy Weitz addressed the issue. “It’s an area we’re committed to addressing on behalf of those fans as well as our players and our partners,” he said. “We know there are a lot of things that go into the speed of play equation, but we’re committed to finding the right solutions and tackling it from every angle.” To back this, the Tour introduced a public timing leaderboard. The goal? Increase accountability. However, critics argue it’s not enough. Without penalties, public data won’t solve the problem. Transparency helps, but strokes change behavior.

Meanwhile, other tours have progressed more quickly. The LPGA launched a season-long slow play tracker. Players with repeated warnings face real penalties. This proactive stance sets a strong example. On the men’s side, LIV’s Marc Leishman echoed growing frustration. “It’s tough to adjust when you’re used to the quicker rounds on LIV,” he said. Even elite players feel the strain. In contrast, the DP World Tour enforces a strict pace. They docked Daniel Gavins a shot in 2023 and repeatedly timed Thomas Pieters. Clearly, consequences work. Golf can’t delay this reckoning much longer—other tours have already led by example.